Desperate Housewives: Episode 3.21, "Into the Woods" Recap

— Previously on Desperate Housewives, Victor pops the question, Susan lets Mike down and then Ian lets Susan down. What will the ladies on Wisteria Lane do this week?

While Lynette and Rick are in Scavo's after closing, some robbers come in and lock them in the freezer. Tom doesn't wake up and realize Lynette's missing until the next morning. When Tom opens freezer, he's not thrilled to see that they were locked in together. Later while looking at the security tape, Tom is even less thrilled to see the body language between Rick and Lynette before the robbery. Gabby and a friend are out shopping. The parking meter runs out and the meter guy tells her that she needs to put another quarter in. Gabby tells him that she's just leaving and then proceeds to finish her conversation. In the meantime the meter guy gives her a ticket and they get into a little verbal altercation. Later that evening at Victor's campaign headquarters, one of his aides tells her that now that Victor is mayor, she's one of the most powerful women in the city and that Victor can take care of all her tickets, etc. I can just see the lightbulb go on in Gabby's head and see trouble brewing.

Carlos confirms to Susan that Mike has indeed left town. She convinces him to tell her where he's gone and then she decides to take off after him. In the meantime, Edie's ex shows up early to take Travers home. Although you'd think that Carlos would take advantage by spending more time with Edie, he seems to be pulling back, claiming work. And you'd best believe, Edie notices.

Up at the park, Susan is really not prepared for this hike and is assigned a guide. She talks the ear off the poor lady who utters one of the episodes funniest lines after Susan swallows a bug "bugs can't get in, if you keep your mouth shut". Later that evening before turning in for the night, the guide asks Susan what she's going to do once this is over. She calls Susan a 'drama junkie' and says that Susan will create drama if there is none there. She really reads Susan quite well and tells her that she doesn't know how to just be happy. The next morning, the guide wakes up to find Susan gone off on her own.

Tom takes Rick out to lunch. He point blank asks Rick if he's sleeping with his wife. They argue and Tom tells Rick that he wants him to quit. Rick says the only way he's going is if Lynette tells him to. That night, after closing, Rick tells Lynette about his lunch with Tom. When she gets upset by Tom's jealousy, and insinuates that it's for no reason, Rick accuses her of having feelings for him. She then gets upset with Rick. She tells him that she enjoyed the flirting but that's all it was. He made her feel special and beautiful, but now he's ruined it. She tells him that he can't work there any more. Later, when she gets home, she tells Tom that Rick quit and that they need to hire a new cook. He tells her that there is no reason, that he's ready to come back. While she's in the bathroom crying about Rick, Tom is in the bedroom gushing about how great it's going to be with them back together working as a team.

Gabby and her friend are again out driving. She's telling him about her little talk with the aide and how powerful she is. Her friend looks as concerned as I felt when Gabby spotted the same meter man. Gabby proceeds to park in front of a fire hydrant. When she's ticketed, she tears up the ticket and takes the tickets off all the cars on the road proclaiming it a 'free parking day'. The meter man grabs her arm to get her to stop and she kicks him. All the while she's yelling that he doesn't realize who she is, who her fiance is, that she can have him fired. When the police pull up, Gaby gets this smirk like he's gonna get it now, but she's the one that was arrested.

Edie gets Travers to try to convince his dad to give her joint custody. When her ex accuses her of manipulating the boy, they get into a big fight, which Carlos overhears. When she later tells Carlos that she's hired a lawyer, he gets her to admit she doesn't want to be alone. Carlos tells her that he'll be there for her and she agrees to call off the lawyer.

Mike returns to the ranger station just in time to hear the guide report her wacky charge missing. He immediately knows who it is. We see Susan lost in the park, leaving Mike a voice mail telling him that she followed him and now she's lost, etc. When her battery dies, she lays down.

Victor's assistant gets Gabby out of jail. She tries to explain to him what happened, but he cuts her off. Victor is pissed! He reprimands her, gives her a lecture of what's expected of him and her in his new position, and demands decorum in public. As she leaves to get dressed for the victory party, he notices a bruise on her wrist. When she tells him the meter guy did it, he gets this really funny look on his face. At the party, as Victor and Gabby dance, we see two thugs approach this guy. When he verifies his identity as the meter guy, they beat him up.

Mary Alice voiceover time - Anyone can become a victim, injured by the actions of others. And we're left with the following scenes:
- Injured meter guy laying against his car
- Travers and his dad leaving
- Rick packing his stuff and leaving
- Lynette and Tom in bed
- Susan waking up to Mike standing over her. She's injured her ankle, so he picks her up and they kiss.

Next time on Desperate Housewives:
Wedding fever on Wisteria Lane, is Edie pregnant, and what's wrong with Lynette?